Looks Like Someone Reported Us
Sophia finished preparing and returned before the report came in. In the meantime, I took Levi Nas deeper into the park. The guild park was officially alcohol-free in principle, but there was one place where drinking was allowed. The secluded woods inside, out of sight from prying eyes, were perfect for picking up empty bottles.
"This stuff really turns into money?!"
"Yeah."
Levi Nas picked up an empty beer bottle. The pungent alcohol smell wafting from the mouth of the bottle made her scrunch up her nose.
"How does this turn into money?!"
"You take it to the convenience store over there, and they give you cash for it."
"Convenience store! Levi Nas knows convenience stores! That's where rich people go!"
Levi Nas bounced up from her spot and dashed off toward the convenience store. Maybe it was her horn rabbit heritage, but her running speed was even faster than mine.
But I wonder if Levi Nas's choker is okay.
It wouldn't explode or anything, but it would start beeping if she got too far away.
I stared anxiously toward the convenience store, and sure enough, moments later, Levi Nas came sprinting back toward me.
"Money...! It's money...!"
Levi Nas, who had raced right up to me at full speed, unfurled her clenched fist. In her tiny hand were a single 100-won bill and two 10-won coins.
"You already sold it and came back?"
"Yeah! This is the first time Levi Nas has ever earned this much money since she was born! Why do they give money for bottles?!"
Whether it was the joy of earning money or not, Levi Nas hopped around excitedly. I remembered feeling the same way the first time I sold bottles in this world—like at least I wouldn't starve to death. The concept was the same here, so that was a relief.
"...Empty bottles can be cleaned and reused. That's why they pay you to return them."
"Aha!"
Did she want to sell more? Levi Nas's gaze shifted to a guy enjoying drinks with his friends. But his beer bottle still had more than half left in it.
"Levi Nas wants to sell that one too!"
"That one belongs to someone. We can't sell it until they leave it behind."
The owner could sell it himself, after all. No need to covet someone else's stuff.
"S-So we can't sell that one...?"
"Yeah. Only ones without an owner."
"Aww..."
Disappointed she couldn't sell it, Levi Nas slumped her shoulders. At that exact moment, the guy chugging his beer suddenly downed the rest in one go.
Gulp, gulp—
The more-than-half-full bottle emptied in seconds. I worried he might get acute alcohol poisoning, but then he tossed the empty bottle toward the nearby bushes with a roll.
"Ugh, khem. The booze is going down easy today..."
"Y-Yeah... Anyone can pick up the empties we toss here and go..."
His friend-looking guy rolled his own empty into the bushes too. Before it even stopped rolling, Levi Nas shot over like an arrow and snatched it up.
"Bottle! Levi Nas got two!"
"Y-Yeah. Lucky break."
What was that? Something felt off just now.
I eyed the drinking guys suspiciously when Sophia approached us, leaning on her cane.
"There you are. Time to go."
"Y-Yeah..."
I answered and glanced at Levi. Wondering what to do with her, she spoke up first.
"Levi Nas wants to pick up more bottles! But Levi Nas has one favor to ask!"
"A favor?"
"Yeah! There aren't enough bottles in the park! Levi Nas wants to pick them up outside too!"
"Ah..."
She wanted the choker off to go outside for bottles. Since that wasn't my call, I looked to Sophia.
"...Come back before tonight."
"Yay!"
Hop, hop. Levi Nas bounded off like a horn rabbit. Knowing I'd helped her life a little made it feel pretty good.
Levi Nas left the park and wandered the city streets picking up bottles. Using her beastkin sense of smell, she steadfastly followed the scent of booze. One bottle, then another. As she got the hang of earning money,
she arrived at a cylindrical trash can.
"Bottle!"
Digging through a filthy trash can wasn't hard for Levi Nas. She'd never learned the concept of cleanliness. Today I'll sell ten! Humming a tune she'd never learned before, she shoved her upper body into the trash can that came up to her chest.
"Sticky-sticky!"
But the trash can was too big. With her body inside, Levi Nas's feet lifted off the ground, dangling in the air.
That's when someone poked her feet.
"Hey, little one...?"
"Huh?"
Levi Nas wiggled her dangling feet back and forth.
Poke, poke, poke—!
Unable to see, she ended up kicking someone.
"W-Wait a sec? Let sis pull you out..."
An unknown someone grabbed both her ankles and yanked. Levi Nas finally saw who it was: a man and woman in blue uniforms.
She'd recently learned they were police.
"L-Levi Nas didn't do anything to get arrested...!"
"No, no, we're not arresting you. We just wondered why you're digging in the trash."
A kid in dirty clothes rummaging through trash was hard for cops to ignore.
"Levi Nas was gonna pick up bottles and sell 'em!"
"Bottles?"
"Yeah! Levi Nas'll pick up bottles and become the richest in the world!"
With that, Levi Nas tried shoving back into the trash can. The two cops had no choice but to stop her.
"Hey, do you have a guardian or anything?"
"Guardian? What's that?"
"A guardian is someone you live with."
Someone she lived with. Levi Nas thought of her beastkin village folks and shook her head. She didn't live with them anymore.
"Levi Nas lives with the king!"
"Whoa, a king?"
"Yeah! The king leads everyone! He's not exactly on Levi Nas's side, but he's super amazing anyway!"
"R-Really...?"
Like the boss of street kids leading other street kids? But street kids in the city? The two cops exchanged puzzled looks.
"Yeah. Even the scary shark with the cane listens to the king. The king's the king of fierce beasts!"
A scary shark with a cane. And a king not on the same side. The cops figured it might be some kid metaphor.
"Does the scary shark or king bully you?"
"Hmm... The shark a little, but the king doesn't."
"Oh? So the king's a good guy?"
Good guy. Levi Nas nodded over and over, thinking of the king off buying a mattress. Even with a new bed, she'd sleep with the king.
"The king's a good guy! He hugs Levi Nas tight when we sleep! It was the first time anyone's ever hugged Levi Nas!"
"I-I see..."
"Yeah... But sometimes Levi Nas sleeps hugged by the shark too..."
The bed was small, no choice. Sigh. Levi Nas let out a breath.
"Senior, this can't be..."
"Hmm..."
The two cops swallowed hard. It sounded affectionate at first, but from a cop's view, no. They had to prepare for the worst: crime.
"Levi Nas, are the shark and king adults?"
"Yeah. Shark's an adult, and the king... is he?"
Come to think of it, she didn't know the king's age. Levi Nas tilted her head.
"So, are the shark and king family?"
"No, not Levi Nas's family?"
"Oh dear..."
Grown adults hugging and sleeping with a non-related kid. The cops instinctively smelled a vile, horrific crime.
"Do the shark or king touch your body without permission or..."
"Officer Kim, stop."
"Y-Yes...?"
"No more questions to the kid. Let's check ourselves."
Ah, worried about the kid's trauma. The woman called Officer Kim nodded.
"Levi Nas, do you know where the king and scary shark are now?"
"Yeah! At the furniture store buying a mattress?!"
There was only one nearby furniture store. Senior Officer Choi Soon-chul radioed his subordinate probably near there.
I was browsing mattresses with Sophia, pressing down to check the softness, when a guy in a police uniform approached us.
"The shark with the cane... and the beast king...?"
"Y-Yes...?"
The uniformed guy scanned Sophia and me. He eyed us repeatedly, then picked up the radio on his chest.
"Senior, think we found the shark and beast...?"
—Really? Already?
"Yes. Looks like a shark no matter how you slice it. The beast... not sure, but it fits the description anyway."
Shark was Sophia, beast was me the cat-kin. In the weird situation, I instinctively clung to Sophia's side.
—What're you talking about?
"You'll see when you look. But they really a shark and beast...?"
—Yeah. We'll head there, so wait a bit.
"Yes, sir. Waiting."
Click.
The guy set down the radio and bowed slightly to Sophia and me. Thankfully, not threatening.
"Hey, kids...?"
"Y-Yes...?"
"Mind waiting here a sec?"
"W-Why?"
Did something happen? I shrugged involuntarily.
"The police uncle needs to do a quick investigation."
"I-Investigation?"
"Gyeowol, let's wait for now."
"O-Okay..."
What were they investigating? Sophia and I stood there, unable to even buy a mattress, just waiting.
About five minutes later, two cops entered the furniture store.
"The shark... and beast...?"
The middle-aged male cop stared at Sophia and me, his pupils shaking. The younger woman gaped, then squeezed her eyes shut.
What the heck? As I huddled, peeking at the cops nervously in the baffling scene,
someone hiding behind them hopped out.
"Levi Nas is here!"
Looking at the one innocent soul, Levi Nas, I couldn't help thinking maybe she had reported Sophia and me to the police.